H
eartland cities have become the new hotspot for young professionals and families, a trend that began during the pandemic and is now accelerating. Realtor.com® analysts examined cross‑market housing data from Q3 2025 to pinpoint the Midwest and Southern metros drawing the most out‑of‑market buyers. The five leaders were Grand Rapids, MI; Nashville, TN; Oklahoma City, OK; Austin, TX; and Birmingham, AL.
Affordability is the chief lure. Jiayi Xu, a Realtor.com economist, notes that high home prices and mortgage rates above 6 % have pushed buyers from expensive coastal markets—New York, Washington DC, and others—into the heartland. The strong local labor markets further attract talent, with Nashville’s unemployment at 3 % and Birmingham’s at 2.5 % in September, well below the national 4.5 % average. Lila McCann, managing broker at MW Real Estate Co., highlights Nashville’s booming tech and finance sectors, which, along with a vibrant entertainment scene, pull in workers from across the country.
The influx of newcomers has driven up prices over the past six years, even as the pandemic’s low‑interest‑rate boom has slowed. In October, Nashville’s median asking price hit $536,739—a 45.1 % rise from six years earlier, the largest gain among the five markets. Grand Rapids followed with a 44.6 % jump, from $269,700 to $389,900. Austin and Oklahoma City saw more modest increases of 36.3 % and 26.5 %, respectively, while Birmingham’s median price rose only 15.4 % to $299,900, making it the most affordable of the group. For comparison, the national median list price climbed 36.9 % from October 2019 to October 2025.
Despite these gains, affordability remains a challenge. McCann acknowledges that Nashville’s rapid growth sometimes outpaces its housing supply, though she notes the city’s inventory is healthier than in past years. Realtor.com’s senior economic research analyst Hannah Jones stresses that, even with price hikes, heartland markets stay attractive: “Demand keeps prices climbing, but they remain well below coastal metros.”
Out‑of‑market interest is strongest in Grand Rapids, where 67.7 % of online views come from outside the market. Detroit accounts for 14.6 % of those views, followed by Indianapolis (10.7 %) and Washington DC (8.6 %). Nashville attracts 66.7 % of its views from outside, led by Chicago (20.3 %), Atlanta (4.9 %), and New York City (4.9 %). In Oklahoma City and Austin, roughly 60 % of traffic originates elsewhere, with Dallas topping the list for both. Birmingham’s listings draw about 59 % of views from outside, led by Chicago (26 %).
The trend reflects a broader shift: many buyers from major metros—Los Angeles, New York, Chicago—are relocating for lower living costs and better value. McCann cites a recent buyer who moved from Alabama to Nashville for a finance job at a large corporation headquartered in “Music City,” drawn by the city’s quality of life and opportunities. Austin’s transformation into a tech hub, attracting giants like Tesla, SpaceX, Apple, and Amazon, further fuels its appeal.
In short, the American heartland is proving to be a compelling alternative to coastal cities. Affordability, strong job markets, and rising demand keep these metros on the radar of homebuyers nationwide, even as prices climb.
